Shoe machine



y 4, 1939- c. A. ROBINSON 2,164,347

SHOE MACHINE Filed July 9, 1937 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 y 193 c. A. ROBINSON 2,164,.m

SHOE MACHINE Filed July 9, 1937 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 July 4, 1939. I

c. A. ROBINSON SHOE MACHINE Filed July 9, 1957 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 A/vEA/TUH 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 c. A. ROBINSON SHOE MACHINE Filed July 9,

058 wm r- July 4, 1939.

y 4, 1939- c. A. ROBINSON 2,164,347

SHOE MACHINE Filed July 9, 1937 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 July 4, 1939. c. A. ROBINSON SHOE MACHINE Filed July 9, 1957 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Patented July 4, 1939 UNlTED STATES PATENT OFFICE SHOE MACHIN E.

Application July 9, 1937, Serial No. 152,765

33 Claims.

The present invention relates to machines for use in the manufacture of boots and shoes and is herein illustrated as embodied in a machine adapted to position pre-welted uppers on their 5 lasts preparatory to the lasting operations of the general type illustrated in United States Letters Patent No. 2,081,228, granted May 25, 1937, on an application filed in the name of Karl Engel.

In the operation of the machine illustrated in 10 said patent, a last is forced into a supported upper while fingers extending upwardly from the interior of the forepart of the upper guide the last and spread the upper for its reception. In the manufacture of p re-welted shoes provided 15 with insoles, the insole is usually attached to the last bottom before the last is forced into the upper and the fingers which guide the last during its depression into the upper engage the edge face of the insole and tend to bend it upwardly 20 away from the last bottom, thus injuring the insole and requiring a tedious and difiicult manual operation thereon to relocate it on the last bottom.

It is an object of the present invention to pro- 25 vide means for holding the insolein contact with the last bottom during the depression of the last into the upper, and with this object in view a feature of the invention consists in the provision in such a machine of a holddown constructed and 30 arrangedto engage the margin of the insole. The

illustrated insole holddown is constructed and arranged to operate in conjunction with a depressor which is adapted to engage a filler mounted on the insole. In accordance with a further fea- \ture of the invention the illustrated machine is provided with yielding means for lifting or retracting the holddown from the insole on the last bottom while the depressor remains in operative position to hold the last within the upper. Such 40 retraction of the holddown provides clearance for the advancement of the members which bend the welted margin of the upper over the edge of the insole. For causing the holddown to remain in sole-engaging position during the depression of 5 the last into the upper there is provided means herein illustrated as a latch member for retaining the holddown at the limit of its downward movement relatively to the depressor.

In the illustrated machine, as in the machine 50 of the Engel Patent No. 2,081,228 above referred to, the depressor and the welt-engaging plates which lay the welted margin of the upper upon the insole are operated by a common actuator.

In order that the last may remain stationary during the operation of said plates there are provided in accordance with a further feature of the invention connections from the actuatorto the depressor constructed and arranged to cause the depressor to remain at rest While the margin of the upper is laid upon the insole. The illustrated 5 connections operate to prevent return movement of the last during the operation of said plates.

For preventing the welt-engaging plates from dragging on the welt and thus misplacing the welted margin of the upper as the plates retract, the present invention provides means for effecting relative heightwise movement of the plates and the upper thereby to relieve the pressure of said plates against the upper before the plates are retracted. In the illustrated machine such relative heightwise movement of the upper and the plates is effected by'providing upper-support ing means movable heightwise of the upper while the plates are in their advanced position, thereby to relieve the pressure of the plates against the welted margin of the upper. As herein illustrated, the upper-supporting members are mounted on a carrier movable generally heightwise of the upper and means is provided for supporting the carrier withthe upper in position to be operated upon by said plates, said carrier-supporting means being retractable to permit the upper-supporting assembly to move downwardly. I

In bending the welted margin of the upper over the insole on the last bottom it has been found difficult to avoid puckering or bunching of the upper at opposite sides of the toe end of the last at the junctions of the toe and side portions of the edge of the last bottom. This is due to the sharp curvature in these regions which necessi- 5 tates a contraction of the inner margin of the welt in order that the welted margin may lie fiat on the insole. It is an object of the present in- Vention to provide welt-engaging plates for the toe end of the supported upper which will operate more effectively upon the welted margin at opposite sides of the toe end of the upper than the means heretofore provided for bending the welted margins of these portions of the upper over the last bottom. To that end the illustrated machine is provided with plates for operating on the toe end of the supported upper to bend the welted margin of the upper over the edge of the last bottom or an insole thereon, which plates are arranged for rectilinear movement in paths which converge toward one end of the upper.

It has been found desirable to arrest the operation of the machine just before the cycle of operations is completed and while the work-engaging parts are still in gripping engagement with the welted margin of the supported upper, thereby to afford the operator an opportunity to perform manual operations on the upper and more particularly to enable him to apply to the shank portions of the welted margin means portable with the last for urging the shank portions of the welted margin inwardly against the last and for holding these portions in such position until the upper is positioned in a lasting machine. Accordingly, the illustrated machine is provided with means for interrupting the operation of the machine with the clamping members in clamping position, such means being herein illustrated as a stop for arresting downward movement of v able from its effective position to permit the operation of the machine to be completed.

These and other features of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the head of a machine embodying the features of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the head of the machine illustrated in Fig. l, certain parts being shown in section on a plane extending through the center of the machine;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the machine with the outwardly extending portions of the machine table broken away;

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the base portion of the machine;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line V-V of Fig. 1, certain parts being broken away in order to illustrate underlying parts;

Fig. 6 is a detail plan view illustrating certain parts for operating the toe-lasting gripper plates;

Fig. '7 is a detail view in side elevation illustrating the parts shown in Fig. 6, associated parts being shown in section;

Fig. 8 is a plan view illustrating the weltgripping plates and certain of their operating mechanisms;

Fig. 9 is a plan view similar to Fig. 8 showing the plates at a different stage in their operation;

Fig. 10 is a sectional elevation showing the toe end of a last and the shoe parts thereon and certain operating parts of the machine;

Fig. 11 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 10 showing the operating parts in a different position;

Fig. 12 is a plan view of the insole holddown assembly;

Fig. 13 is a perspective view of part of the upper-supporting mechanism, and

Fig. 14 is a perspective view of other parts of the upper-supporting mechanism.

The invention is illustrated as embodied in a machine which is similar in its general organization and in many of its details of construction and operation to the machine illustrated in the patent to Engel No. 2,081,228 above referred to, to which patent reference may be had for a description of details of construction and operation not fully described herein.

In common with the machine illustrated in said patent the machine herein illustrated is provided with upper-supporting members which engage the exterior of an inverted pre-welted upper within the welt crease and hold the upper against downward movement while a depressor member forces the forepart of a last into the supported upper. The machine is also provided with members which engage the interior of the welted margin and guide the last during its depression into the upper and with members which engage the sole-attaching face of the welt and operate first to grip the welted margin to assist in holding the upper in position during the depression of the last and thereafter operate to bend the welted margin over the edge of the last bottom, or an insole thereon, thereby to position the welted margin for the reception of the lasting wipers of a lasting machine such, for example, as that illustrated and described in United States Leters Patent No. 2,042,518, granted June 2, 1936 on an application filed in the name of Karl Engel.

Referring now to Figs. 1 and 4, the illustrated machine is provided with a base or frame 20 to the top of which there is secured a table 22 and on the table there is secured the upstanding frame 24 of the machine head. Secured to the forward portion of the table 22 centrally of the width of the frame 24 is a bed plate 26 which carries a base plate 28 on which are mounted upstanding work-supporting plates 38 the upper ends of which engage the forepart of an inverted pre-welted upper within the welt crease.

For spreading the forepart of a supported upper for the reception of a last a series of resilient plates 32 (Figs. 1 and 2) are provided, said plates and their operating mechanism being substantially the same as the upper-spreading mechanism illustrated and described in the patent to Engel No. 2,081,228 above referred to. The plates 32 are mounted on a crosshead 34 which moves heightwise of the supported upper on parallel vertical shafts 36. The plates 32 are contracted to facilitate their entrance into the interior of the upper by a series of screws 38 which engage bosses 40 on the plates 32 and hold the plates in inwardly bent position during their downward movement. The screws 38 are mounted in a carrier 42 (Fig. 2) which moves heightwise of the supported upper on the shafts 36. The carrier 42 travels with the upper-spreading plates 32 as they move downwardly into the upper and the screws 38 remain in engagement with the bosses 40 on the spreader plates and hold said plates in their inwardly bent position for entrance into the upper. After the plates 32 enter the upper their downward movement is arrested but the carrier 42 continues to move downwardly to bring the screws 38 out of engagement with the bosses M0 and to permit the plates 32 to spring outwardly against the interior of the welted margin of the upper. A latch member on the carrier 42 then operates to maintain the separation of the carrier 42 from the crosshead 34 thereby to hold the screws 38 in their inoperative position.

After the upper has been mounted on the supporting plates 30 and the spreader plates 32 have entered the upper and engaged the interior of its welted margin the heel end of a last is positioned within the heel end of the supported upper and the forepart of the last is swun downwardly, bringing the periphery of the forepart of the last into engagement with the spreader plates 32. The heel portions of the last and upper are manually supported throughout the operation of the machine.

For forcing the forepart of the last downwardly into the supported upper the illustrated machine is provided with a novel depressor member which carries mechanism for holding the margin of the forepart of an insole on the last bottom against the margin of the last bottom and prevents the insole from being lifted off the last bottom by engagement of the edge of its forepart with the spreader plates 32 and with the interior of the forepart of the supported upper during the depression of the last into the upper. The organization of the insole holddown mechanism is such that the members which engage the margin of the insole retract after the last comes to the limit of its depression into the upper and permit the welted margin of the upper to be bent over upon the margin of the forepart of the insole. Referring now to Figs. 2, 10 and 11, illustrating the preferred form of the last depressor and insole holddown assembly, a vertical shaft 44 which carries at its lower end a presser foot 46 is slidably mounted in a hollow vertical head 48 on a crosshead B which is slidably mounted on the vertical shafts 36. The shaft 44 is slidable through the hollow head 48 within the limits of a vertical groove 52 provided in the upper portion of the shaft within which groove ispositioned the end of a screw 54 mounted in the hollow head 48. Referring now to Fig. 12, the insole holddown mechanism comprises a pair of insole-engaging members or plates 56 which are connected together by a halved joint 58 which affords movement of the members 56 toward and from each other to adjust them to engage insoles of different sizes. The members 56 are pivotally mounted on a sleeve 66 which is mounted for endwise sliding movement on a reduced lower end portion 62 of the depressor shaft 44. The sleeve 66 is positioned centrally of the width of the plates 56 and is so positioned with relation to the outer margin of the insole-engaging members that no substantial distortion of the arcuate formation of the peripheral margins of said members occurs in adjusting the plates for operation on insoles of different sizes. It will be understood that the holddown assembly will not fit perfectly on insoles within the range of sizes on which it is adapted to operate but it will fit accurately'enough to prevent separation of the margin of the insole from the last bottom during the depression of the last into the supported upper. The opening or expanding movement of the members 56 is limited by the engagement of end faces 64 of the arcuate margins of said members with each other while the contracting or closing movement of said members is limited by the engagement of inner edge faces 66 of said members with each other. The plates 56 are held against vertical separation from each other by a retainer member or plate 68 (Fig. the bottom surface of which engages the top of the plates 56 while a lip I6 projecting horizontally from a downwardly extending flange I2 at the forward end of the plate 68 engages the bottom of reduced marginal portions 74 of the plates 56. For adjusting the plates 56 a conically pointed screw I6 is mounted in the flange 12 of the plate 68 and has its pointed end positioned between the inner edge faces 66 of the plates 56. When the screw 16 is advanced it exerts a wedging action between the edge faces 66, causing the plates 56 to expand in opposition to the tension of a spring I8 connecting pins 86 mounted in the plates 56, and holding the inner edge faces 66 in engagement with said screw. In order that the presser foot 46 may engage a filler, for ex ample the filler 82illustrated in Fig. 10, while the insole holddown assembly operates on the margin of an insole, for example the insole B4 illustrated in Fig. 10, the plates 56 are provided with peripheral insole-engaging flanges 86 the height of which is somewhat greater than the thickness of the filler 82, and to the same end the presser foot 46 is positioned within a recess 88 formed inthe undersurface of one of the members 56. The insole holddown assemly is normally held in elevated relation to the presser foot, as shown in Fig. 11, bytwo tensionsprings 96, the lower ends of which engage pins projecting outwardly from opposite sides of the plate 68 while the upper ends engage pins projecting outwardly from opposite sides of a collar or split clamp 92 (Fig. 2) secured to the shaft 44. For holding the insoleengaging plates 56 in insole-engaging position relatively to the last-depressing member, an upstanding latch bar 94 is pivotally mounted between the ears of a Ushaped bracket 96 secured to the upper surface of the plate 68. The latch bar operates against the collar 92 and is provided with a projection 98 which engages the bottom face of the collar, the latch bar being held in position widthwise of'the collar by ears I66 which project forwardly from the collar and engage opposite sides of the latch her. For yieldingly holding the latch bar in latching position, a torsion spring I62 is coiled about the hub of the latch bar and has its legs arranged to engage respectively the bracket 96 and the front face of the latch bar. The latch bar holds the insole-engaging members 56 in operative relation to the depressor member during the depression of the last into the supported upper. After the depression of the last has been completed, the latch bar is disengaged from the collar by the engagement of a tripping plate I84 mounted on the hollow head 48 with an inclined upper end face I66 of the latch bar whereupon the springs 96 connecting the plate 68 to the collar 92 lift the insole holddownassembly from its position illustrated in Fig. 10 to its position illustrated in Fig. 11, in which position the upper face of the plate 68 engages a stop surface provided at the lower extremity of the portion of the shaft 44 of greatest diameter. It sometimes happens that the tension of the springs 96 is not suflicient to lift the insole holddown assembly because the welted margin of the upper has engaged the insole-engaging members 56. When this occurs, the insole holddown assembly is manually lifted away from the insole by the operation of a lever I68 (Figs. 2 and 3), one end of which is in the form of a yoke which embraces the latch bar 94 and the depressor shaft 44, the arms forming the yoke being pivoted on pins projecting outwardly from said shaft. For connecting the yoke to the latch bar 94, a crosspin H6 is mounted in said bar, the ends of said pin extending into lengthwise grooves or channels II 2 provided in the inner surfaces of the arms of the yoke. In addition to its function above referred to, the lever I68 is employed after the completion of the operation of a plates 32 as the holddown assembly moves downwardly into insole-engaging position.

The insole holddown assembly is vertically adjustable to vary the elevation of the presser foot 45 above the plane of the insole-engaging face of the members 56 thereby to position said presser foot relatively to the members 55 in accordance with the thickness of the filler to be operated upon. This adjustment is effected by releasing a clamping scrw II4 (Fig. 2) which secures the split collar 92 to the depressor shaft 44 and moving said collar up or down as the desired adjustment may require and tightening the screw to clamp the collar in adjusted position. It will be understood that such adjustment of the collar 82 will effect a corresponding adjustment of the operative position of the holddown assembly since the separation of the collar 92 and the holddown assembly by the latch bar 94 is constant.

In order to clamp the welted margin of the forepart of the upper and to hold the upper in position on the supporting plates 38 during the depression of the forep-art of a last into the upper, a series of horizontal gripper plates are provided for engagement with the insole-attaching face of the welt. The construction of the illustrated gripper plates is substantially the same as the construction of the welt-gripping plates in the machine illustrated in the patent to Engel above referred to, and the general organization of the mechanism for operating the gripper plates is similar to the mechanism for operating the gripper plates in the Engel machine. The machine herein illustrated is provided with a novel arrangement of gripper plates best illustrated in Figs. 8 and 9 comprising plates II6 arranged to engage the welt at opposite side portions of the forepart of the upper and plates II8 arranged to engage the welt at the toe end of the upper at opposite sides of the longitudinal median line of the upper, The gripper plates I26 are mounted for rectilinear movement in grooves in supporting plates I25 secured to the under surface of a crosshead I22 formed integrally with the frame 24 and positioned just above the plane of the top edges of the upper-supporting plates 38 and projecting forwardly slightly beyond the work-supporting plates. The center of the forward portion of the crosshead I22 is recessed or cut back as illustrated at I24 in Fig. 5 to provide clearance for a shoe and the operating parts which move downwardly into engagement therewith. The gripper plates II8 are mounted for rectilinear movement in grooves I32 provided in a plate I26 secured to the central portion of the crosshead I22, said grooves converging toward the supported upper at an angle of approximately 40. For simultaneously operating the gripper plates I I8 a slide I28 is mounted in a groove I30 in the top of the plate I26, said groove extending rearwardly from the toe end of the supported upper in the direction of the longitudinal median line of the supported upper. The groove I36 bisects the angle formed by the grooves I32 within which the gripper members II8 operate. A block I34 secured to the bottom face of the slide I28 travels through a slot I36 in the supporting plate I26, the length of said slot determining the extent of the operative movement of the gripper plates I I8, For connecting the slide I218 to the gripper plates IIS, a crosshead I38 (Figs. 7, 8 and 9) is secured to the bottom face of the block I34 and is provided at its end portions with open-ended slots I40 which receive rolls I42 carried by the gripper plates. For retracting the plates II8 a tension spring I44 is provided between the crosshead I38 and the supporting plate I26. The. side gripper plates II6 are retracted by compression springs I 48 which are seated in sockets provided in the supporting plates I28 and engage lugs I56 at the outer ends of the gripper plates. The toe gripper plates II8 are operated by downward movement of the crosshead 58 which carries the depressor and the insole holddown assembly. For operating said plates the crosshead has secured thereto a cam plate I52 which operates a lever I54 the lower end of which carries a pin I56 which engages a latch member 286 carried by the toe gripper slide I28. The gripper plates II6 which operate on opposite sides of the forepart of the supported upper are also operated by downward movement of the crosshead 56, the crosshead having secured thereto cam plates I53 (Fig, 1) which operate levers I55 having at their lower ends pins I56 which engage the end faces of the gripper plates. The toe gripper plates II8 are operated at the beginning of the machine cycle to grip the welted margin of the upper against the upper-supporting plate and to hold the upper during the depression of the last into the forepart of the upper and after the depression of the last has been completed and the insole holddown members have been retracted the four gripper plates are operated in unison to bend the welted margin of the upper over the edge of the insole 84 and to press it downwardly onto the margin of the insole, as illustrated in Fig. 11. The crosshead 59 is moved downwardly to operate the gripper plates I I6 and I I8 by depressing a treadle I58 (Fig. 4) thereby to straighten the toggle links I68 and I62 (Fig. 2) and operate a bell crank lever I34 which is connected to the crosshead 58 by a link I66. In order that the last may remain stationary while the gripper plates bend the welted margin of the upper over upon the margin of the insole, it is desirable that the depression of the last into the supported upper be completed before the gripper plates advance from their position illustrated in Fig. 10 to their position in Fig. 11. In order that this result may be accomplished it is necessary that the last depressor remain at rest during the latter part of the downward movement of the crosshead 58. In the illustrated machine this is done by providing a horizontal slide I68 between the crosshead 58 and the depressor shaft 44, which slide remains fixed relatively to the crosshead 58 during the depression of the last into the upper but retracts progressively during the final downward movement of the crosshead after the depression of the last into the upper has been completed to permit the crosshead to move downwardly relatively to the depressor shaft 44 while said shaft remains at rest. Referring to Fig. 2, the horizontal slide I68 is mounted in a hollow bracket I18 secured to the top of the crosshead and is provided at its forward end with an undercut inclined face I12 which engages an inclined face at the upper end of a vertical slide I14 mounted in the upper portion of the hollow head 48. At its rear end the slide I68 has a half-round face which engages a fixed vertical bar I16 secured to the top portion of the frame 24. The vertical slide I14 is vertically positioned relatively to the crosshead 50 by a pin I18 projecting forwardly from the slide for engagement with the top of the crosshead, the position of the slide I14 being such that there is no lost motion of the slide I68 between the slide I14 and the vertical bar I16. Whenthe machine is at rest the depressor shaft 44 is supported on the screw 54, the screw being positioned at the upper end of the groove 52 in said shaft. During the downward movement of the crosshead 59 the presser foot 46 and the insole-engaging plates 56 engage, respectively, the filler and insole on the last bottom and the depressor and insole assembly remain at rest while the space between the bottom of the slide I14 and a screw I89 at the top of the depressor shaft I4 is taken up. Thereafter the depressor shaft 44 moves downwardly with the crosshead 59 until a half-round inclined face I82 at the rear end of the slide I68 which is parallel to the face I12 at the opposite end of said slide comes into alignment with an undercut inclined face I84 in the bar I I6. This occurs as the gripper plates H6 and H8 begin their final advancement to bend the welted margin of the upper over the insole on the last bottom. As the crosshead 59 continues downwardly to complete the advancement of the gripper plates the slide I58 travels downwardly and rearwardly between the inclined face at the upper end of the slide I14 and the inclined face I84 of the bar I76, and the depressor shaft 44 remains at rest while the crosshead 59 moves donwardly relatively thereto. During such downward movement of the crosshead the tripping plate I94 on the hollow head 48 engages the inclined face I96 at the upper end of the latch bar 94, disengaging the latch bar from the collar 92 and permitting the holddown assembly to be lifted into its inoperative position by the springs 99. The upward movement of the holddown assembly is timed to occur at the beginning of the final advancement of the gripper plates H6 and I I8, uncovering the margin of the insole for the reception of the welted margin of the upper.

During the latter part of the depression of the treadle I58, after the grippers H6 and H8 have bent the welted margin of the supported upper over upon the insole on the last bottom, the upper supporting plates 39 move downwardly sufficiently to disengage the welt at the toe end of the upper from the toe gripper plates H8 in order that said gripper plates, during their retraction, will be out of engagement with the welt, or at least will have their pressure against the welt sufficiently released so the plates will not tend to misplace the welted margin of the upper during their retraction by reason of their frictional engagement therewith. To this end, the base plate 28 of the work-supporting assembly and the bed plate 26 are so constructed and arranged that the base plate has a limited movement heightwise of the supported upper to permit the upper-supporting plates to drop just before the toe-gripper plates retract, thereby to relieve the pressure of said plates against the welted margin of the upper, the base plate 28 being held at the limit of its upward movement during the operation of the gripper plates by means hereinafter described. Referring now to Figs. 13 and 14, the illustrated base plate 28 is provided at opposite sides thereof with tongues I86 which engage grooves I88 provided in the upwardly extending side portions I99 of the bed plate 26, said grooves being of uniform width while the tongues I86 in the base plate diminish in thickness rearwardly of the machine, thus permitting a limited vertical swinging movement of the upper-supporting assembly about the forward portion of the bed plate 26. The wrk-sup porting assembly is positioned, lengthwise of an upper mounted thereon, between an abutment I92 (Fig. 2) projecting upwardly from the rear portion of the base plate and a button I94 pivoted to the front edge face of the bed plate and at one side thereof, said button being movable out of alinement with the base plate 28 to permit the removal of the work-supporting assembly from the machine. The base plate is supported at the limit of its upward movement by a sliding bar I96 mounted in the bed plate 26 for movement generally lengthwise of a supported upper. When the work-supporting assembly is at the limit of its upward movement, as illustrated in Fig. 2-, a top surface I98 near the rearward extremity of the sliding bar I96 engages the bottom surface of the rear margin of the base plate 28. In the course of the operation of the machine the sliding bar I96 is moved rearwardly, or to the left as seen in Fig, 2, by the operation of a lug 299 on the hub of the treadle-operated toggle link I69, which lug engages a recess or notch provided in the under surface of an upwardly offset extension 292 of the sliding bar. During the latter part of the operation of the machine after the advancement of the gripper plates I I6 and I I8 has been completed the top surface I98 of the sliding bar moves away from the base plate 28 and permits the work-supporting assembly to drop or swing downwardly to the extent of the width of the groove I88 provided in the bed plate 26. During the upward movement of the treadle I58 the lug 29!! travels in a clockwise direction, as seen in Fig. 2, to move the sliding bar I96 forwardly or to the right, as seen in Fig. 2, and an inclined surface or cam face 294 provided in the sliding bar engages the bottom margin at the rear of the base plate and lifts the worksupporting assembly, thereby returning it to its initial position.

In the illustrated machine the lever I54 which operates the toe gripper plates H8 remains advanced after the work-supporting assembly descends to provide clearance for the retraction of said plates and said lever does not begin to retract until after the work-supporting assembly is lifted to its initial position. Consequently, means other than said lever must be provided for retracting the toe gripper plates and means must be provided for breaking the connections from the lever I54 to the toe gripper plates to permit said plates to be retracted while the lever remains in its advanced position. As herein illustrated, the toe gripper plates are retracted by a tension spring I44 (Figs. 2 and 7) hereinbefore referred to and the slide I28 which operates the gripper plates is provided at its rear end with a latch member herein illustrated as a swinging arm 296 (Fig. '7) which is pivoted at its forward end between ears. 298 (Fig. 6) projecting rearwardly from the slide I 28. During the advancement of the slide I28 the arm 296 is positioned in alinement with the pin I56 by the engagement of a pin 2I9 projecting laterally from the arm 296 with the top face of the reduced portion 2| 2 of one of the ears 298. The under surface of the arm 296 has a downwardly and rearwardly inclined surface or cam face 2 l4 which engages the upper surface of a fixed plate 2I6 which is secured to the rear face of the plate I26 which supports the slide I28. The cam face 2| 4 on the arm 296 is so spaced from the plate 2 l6 that it engages said plate immediately after the toe gripper plates H8 have completed their operation on the welted margin of a supported upper and further advancement of the slide I28 thereafter causes the free end of the arm 206 to move upwardly sufficiently to disengage it from the pin I55. The slide I28 is then moved rearwardly or to the right, as seen in Fig. 7, by the spring I44, therebyretracting the toe gripper plates II8.

For arresting the downward movement of the crosshead 50 thereby to interrupt the operation of the machine to permit the operator to perform manual operations on the shoe while it is gripped by the work-engaging parts, the crosshead has secured thereto adjacent to the cam plate I53 seen at the right in Fig. l a vertical arm 238 which extends downwardly from the crosshead and is positioned in alinement with a stop herein illustrated as a rectangular end portion 232 formed in a swinging arm 234 and upwardly offset therefrom. The arm 234 is pivotally mounted on the horizontal upper surface of a bracket 238 secured to the front edge face of the plate I20 which supports the welt-gripping plate IIG seen at the right of Fig. 1 and the stop 232 is positioned in alinement with the arm 230 by the engagement of the arm 234 with a flange 238 projecting upwardly from the bracket 238, the arm 234 being yieldingly held against the flange 238 by a torsion spring 248 (Fig. 8) coiled about a headed screw 242 on which the arm 234 is pivoted. For swinging the arm 234 in a counterclockwise direction, as illustrated in Fig. 8, to move the stop 2132 out of alinement with the arm 230, thus to permit the downward movement of the crosshead 50 to be completed, a handle 244 is provided onthe arm 234 and arranged to extend outwardly and forwardly for convenient engagement by the operator.

In the operation of the illustrated machine a pre-welted upper is supported in inverted position on the plates 30 the upper ends of which engage the upper within the welt crease, as illustrated in Fig. 10. The operator then depresses a treadle 2 I8 to bring the upper-spreading plates 32 into engagement with the interior of the welted margin of the upper, as illustrated in Fig. 10, in which position the upper-spreading assembly is latched against return movement. The operator then positions the heel portion of a last in the heel portion of the upper and permits the toe portion of the last to rest against the spreader plates 32. The operator then depresses the treadle I58, thereby imparting downward movement to the crosshead 50 which carries the last depressor and the insole holddown assembly. During the first stage of the downward movement of the crosshead the insole-engaging plates 58 engage the margin of an insole on the last bottom, for example the insole 84 illustrated in Fig. 10, and the presser foot 46 engages the toe end of a filler secured to the insole. The crosshead then moves downwardly relatively to the depressor shaft 44 until the vertical slide "4 engages the screw I80 at the upper end of the depressor shaft. The crosshead 58 and the depressor, together with the insole holddown assembly, then move downwardly as a unit until the last comes to the limit of its depression into the supported upper, as illustrated in Fig. 10. At this time the inclined face I82 in the horizontal slide I08 at the upper end of the crosshead 50 is in alinement with the undercut inclined face I84 in the bar I16, and further downward movement of the crosshead thereafter causes the slide I68 to move downwardly and rearwardly in the direction of the parallel planes of the inclined surfaces of the bar I10 and the slide I14 while the depressor shaft 44 remains at rest. It will be understood that during this stage of the downward movement of the crosshead the horizontal slide I68 acts as an abutment to hold the slide I14 and the depressor shaft 44 against upward movement, thus holding the last in its depressed position within the supported upper. During this final stage of the downward movement of the crosshead the latch tripping plate I04 on the crosshead engages the latch bar 94 and disengages it from the collar 92, whereupon the insole holddown assembly is lifted from its position in Fig. 10 to its position in Fig. 11 by the tension springs 90, thus providing clearance for the final advancement of the gripper plates IIS and H8 to bend the welted margin of the upper over the edge of the insole on the last bottom. To the same end the spreader plates 32 are lifted from their operative position illustrated in Fig. 10 by mechanism illustrated and described in the patent to Engel hereinbefore referred to. The downward movement of the crosshead 50 also operates the gripper plates H and H8. The toe gripper plates H8 are partially advanced at the beginning of the downward movement of the crosshead by the engagement of the cam face 220 at the lower portion of the plate I52 with the roll at the upper end of the lever I54, thus bringing the plates II8 into gripping engagement with the welt 222, as illustrated in Fig. 10, to assist in holding the supported upper as the last is depressed into it. Thereafter the gripper plates IIO are moved into gripping engagement with the welt by the engagement of cam faces 224 on the plates I53 with the rolls at the upper ends of the levers I55. During the final stage of the downward movement of the crosshead 50 the cam faces 220 at the upper ends of the plates I52 and I53 operate the levers I54 and I55 simultaneously to impart to the plates H8 and I I8 their final advancing movement, and after the plates have completed their advancement the upper-supporting plates 30 swing downwardly by their own weight as the sliding bar I98 moves to the left, as seen in Fig. 2, moving its elevated surface I98 out from under the base plate 28 of the upper-supporting assembly. The latch member 206 on the gripper plate carrier I28 (Fig. 2) is then disengaged from the pin I58 on the lever I54, whereupon the spring I44 retracts the toe gripper plates H8. The operator then releases the treadle I58 and the treadle spring 228 (Fig. 44) returns the crosshead 50 to its initial position and all of the operating parts are reset for a repetition of the machine cycle except the insole holddown assembly which remains in its position on the depressor shaft 44 illustrated in Fig. 11 until the lever I08 (Fig. 2) is manually swung downwardly to return the insole holddown assembly to its position on the depressor shaft illustrated in Fig. and to relocate the latch bar 94 in its operative position, as shown in Fig. 2.

The illustrated machine is not provided with means for fastening the welted margin of the upper to the insole since it is intended that the upper be held on the last after the operation of the machine by the tension of its welt, the welt being made substantially shorter than the periphery of the bottom of the last in accordance with the method disclosed in United States Letters Patent No. 2,059,218, granted November 3, 1936 on an application filed in the name of Karl Engel.

While the invention has been illustrated as embodied in a machine for use in the manufacture of pro-welted shoes, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its scope to machines for use in the manufacture of such shoes except in so far as such limitation is required by the claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a machine for use in the manufacture of pro-welted shoes, the combination with uppersupporting and positioning members constructed and arranged to engage, respectively, the interior of the welted margin of a pro-welted upper and the exterior of the upper within the welt crease, and plates constructed and arranged to engage the sole-attaching face of the welt and to bend the welted margin over an insole on a last bottom, of a holddown constructed and arranged to engage the margin of a sole on a last in the upper.

2. In a machine for use in the manufacture of pre-welted shoes, the combination with uppersupporting and positioning members constructed and arranged to engage, respectively, the interior of the welted margin of a pre-welted upper and the exterior of the upper within the welt crease, and plates constructed and arranged to engage the sole-attaching face of the welt and to bend the welted margin over an insole on a last bottom, of a holddown constructed and arranged to engage the toe portion of an insole on a last in the upper.

3. In a machine for use in the manufacture of pre-welted shoes, the combination with uppersupporting members extending generally heightwise of an upper in the machine and constructed and arranged to engage the upper-engaging face of the welt at the forepart of a pro-welted upper. while the rear part of the upper is manually supported, a series of plates extending generally heightwise of the supported upper for clamping the margin of the upper outwardly against saidsupporting members, and means for depressing the forepart of a last into the forepart of the upper, of a holddown constructed and arranged to engage the forepart of an insole on the last bottom, said holddown being positioned to register accurately with the margin of the forepart of the insole by said clamping plates.

4. In a machine for use in the manufacture of pro-welted shoes, means for supporting a prewelted upper for the reception of a last, means for forcing the last into the supported upper, a holddown constructed and arranged to engage the margin of the forepart of an insole on the last bottom and to hold the insole against the last while the last is forced into the upper, and lasting members constructed and arranged to engage the sole-attaching face of the welt and to bend the welted margin of the upper over the edge of the last bottom.

5. In a machine for use in the manufacture of pro-welted shoes, a depressor for pressing a' last into a supported upper, a holddown carried by the depressor and constructed and arranged to engage the margin of an insole on the last bottom thereby to hold the insole against the last while the last is pressed into the upper, a series of members constructed and arranged to bend the welted margin of the upper over the edge of the last bottom, and a moving head constructed and arranged to operate both the depressor and said members.

6. In a machine for use in the manufacture of shoes, a depressor for forcing a last into a sup ported upper, an insole holddown carried by the depressor and movable relatively thereto heightwise of the supported upper, yielding means for retracting the holddown while the depressor remains in operative position, and means for causing the holddown to remain in position to engage the insole when the depressor is positioned against the insole or against a filler thereon.

7. In a machine for use in the manufacture of shoes, a depressor for forcing a last into a supported upper, an insole holddown slidably mounted on the depressor, yielding means for retracting the holddown, and a latch for positioning the holddown to engage an insole on the last bottom when the depressor is brought into engagement with the insole or with a filler thereon.

8. In a machine for use in the manufacture of shoes, a depressor for forcing a last into a supported upper, an insole holddown slidably mounted on the depressor, yielding means for retracting the holddown without retracting the depressor, a latch for positioning the holddown to engage an insole on the last bottom when the depressor is brought into engagement with the insole or with a filler thereon, means for lasting the upper over upon the insole, and means for disengaging said latch to permit the holddown to be retracted before the lasting operation is completed.

9. In a machine for use in the manufacture of shoes, a depressor for forcing a last into asup-- ported upper, an insole holddown carried by the depressor and movable relatively thereto heightwise of the supported upper, yielding means for retracting the holddown, a latch member for maintaining the holddown in operative position relatively to the depressor, and a tripping member for retracting the latching member thereby to permit the retraction of the holddown.

10. In a machine for use in the manufacture of shoes, a depressor for forcing a last into a supported upper, an insole holddown carried by the depressor and movable relatively thereto heightwise of the supported upper, yielding means for retracting the holddown while the depressor remains in operative position, and meansoperable at the will of the operator for positively retracting the holddown.

11. In a machine for use in the manufacture of shoes, the combination with plates extending generally heightwise of .a supported upper for guiding a last during its depression into the supported upper, of a last depressor comprising a shaft extending generally heightwise of the upper, and an insole holddown freely mounted on the depressor shaft and automatically oriented for engagement with the margin of the insole by its engagement with said last-guiding plates.

12. In a machine for use in the manufacture of shoes, a depressor for forcing a last into a supported upper, means for laying the margin of the upper upon an insole on the last bottom, a common actuator for the depressor and said upper-laying means, and connections from the actuator to the depressor constructed and arranged to cause the depressor to remain. at rest while the margin of the upper is laid upon the insole.

13, In a machine for use in the manufacture of shoes, a depressor for forcing a last into a supported upper, a lasting member for laying the margin of the supported upper upon the last bottom or an insole thereon, an actuator, connections from the actuator to the lasting member, and connections from the actuator to the depressor including means for causing the depressor-to remain at rest and tohold the last in a fixed position heightwise thereof during the operation of the lasting member.

14. In a machine for use in the manufacture of shoes, a depressor for forcing a last into a supported upper, a lasting member for laying the margin of the supported upper upon the last bottom or an insole thereon, an actuator, operating connections from the actuator to the lasting member including a crosshead movable heightwise of the supported upper, in which crosshead the depressor is slidably mounted for movement heightwise of the upper relatively to the crosshead, a stop for limiting upward movement of the depressor in the crosshead, said stop being constructed and arranged to retract progressively during the latter part of the downward movement of the crosshead thereby to hold the dcpressor in a fixed position heightwise of the last while the sliding head further descends to operate the lasting member.

15. In a machine for use in the manufacture of shoes, a depressor for forcing a last into a supported upper, a head in which the depressor is mounted for sliding movement heightwise of the upper, and a member carried by said head for engaging said depressor and holding it from upward movement relatively to the head during the depression of the last into the upper, said member being constructed and arranged to retract automatically during continued movement of the head after the depression of the last into the upper has been completed.

16. In a machine for use in the manufacture of shoes, a depressor for forcing a last into a supported upper, a vertical stem extending upwardly from the depressor, a head in which said stem is slidably mounted, means for moving the head downwardly to operate the depressor, and means for causing the depressor to dwell during the latter part of the downward movement of the head comprising a horizontal slide freely mounted in the head, a fixed vertical. abutment arranged to engage the rear end face of the horizontal slide, an inclined face in the forward end of the horizontal slide providing a stop for limiting upward movement of the depressor, said fixed vertical abutment having a recess in its lower portion which permits a predetermined rearward movement of the horizontal slide during the latter part of the downward movement of the head.

1'7. A machine for use in the manufacture of prewelted shoes having means for supporting a pre-welted upper by engagement with the outer surface of the upper in the welt crease and a lasting member constructed and arranged to engage the sole-attaching face of the welt and to bend the welted margin of the upper over the edge of a last mounted therein characterized by means for ehecting relative heightwise movement of the lasting member and the upper thereby to relieve the pressure of the lasting member against the upper before said member is retracted.

18. In a machine for use in the manufacture of welted shoes, the combination with a lasting member constructed and arranged to engage the sole-attaching face of the welt of a prewelted upper and to bend the welted margin of the upper over the edge of a last mounted therein, of upper-supporting means constructed and arranged to engage a pre-welted upper within the welt crease, said supporting means being movable heightwise of the upper while the lasting member is in its advanced position thereby to relieve the pressure of said member against the upper and thus to facilitate its retraction.

19. In a. machine for use in the manufacture of pre-welted shoes, the combination with lasting members constructed and arranged to engage the sole-attaching face of the welt of a pre-welted upper and to bend the welted margin of the upper over the edge of a last mounted therein, of a pluralityof upstanding plates for supporting the upper by engagement within the welt crease, and a carrier for said plates movable generally heightwise of the upper thereby to relieve the pressure of the lasting members against the upper before they are retracted.

20. In a machine for use in the manufacture of pro-welted shoes, the combination with lasting members constructed and arranged to engage the sole-attaching face of the welt of a pre-welted upper and to bend the welted margin of the upper over the edge of a last mounted therein, of a series of upstanding plates constructed and arranged to support the forepart of the upper by engagement within the welt crease, a carrier for said plates movable generally heightwise of the upper, and means for supporting the carrier with the upper in lasting position, said carrier-supporting means being retractable to permit the upper-supporting assembly to move downwardly.

21. In a machine for use in the manufacture of pro-welted shoes, the combination with lasting members constructed and arranged to engage the sole-attaching face of the welt of a pre-welted upper and to bend the welted margin of the upper over the edge of a last mounted therein, of a series of upstanding plates constructed and arranged to support the forepart of the upper by engagement within the welt crease while the rear part is manually supported, a carrier for said plates movable generally heightwise of the upper, means for supporting the carrier with the upper in lasting position, and means for retracting the carrier-supporting means to permit downward movement of the upper-supporting assembly by its own weight.

22. In a machine for use in the manufacture of pre-welted shoes, the combination with lasting members constructed and arranged to engage the sole-attaching face of the Welt of a pre-welted upper and to bend the welted margin of the upper over the edge of a last mounted therein, of a series of upstanding plates constructed and arranged to support the forepart of the upper by engagement within the welt crease, a carrier for said plates movable generally heightwise of the upper, means for supporting the carrier with the upper in lasting position, an actuator for the lasting members, and connections from said actuator to the carrier-supporting means for retracting the supporting means thereby to permit downward movement of the upper-supporting assembly.

23. In a machine for use in the manufacture of pre-welted shoes, the combination with lasting members constructed and arranged to engage the sole-attaching face of the welt of a pre-welted upper and to bend the welted margin of the upper over the edge of a last mounted therein, of a series of upstanding plates constructed and arranged to support the forepart of the upper by engagement within the welt crease, a carrier for said plates movable generally heightwise of the upper, and a slide for supporting the carrier, said slide being movable in one direction to elevate the upper-supporting assembly and in another direction to permit the upper-supporting assembly to drop.

24. In a machine for use in the manufacture of pre-welted shoes, the combination with lasting members constructed and arranged to engage the sole-attaching face of the welt of a pre-Welted upper and to bend the welted margin of the upper over the edge of a last mounted therein, of a series of upstanding plates constructed and arranged to support the forepart of the upper by engagement Within the Welt crease, a carrier for said plates movable generally heightwise of the upper, and a supporting member for the carrier having a plurality of supporting surfaces disposed at different elevations, said supporting member being movable to present different supporting surfaces to the carrier.

25. In a machine for use in the manufacture of pre-welted shoes, the combination with lasting members constructed and arranged to engage the sole-attaching face of the Welt of a pre-welted upper and to bend the welted margin of the upper over the edge of a last mounted therein, of a series of upstanding plates constructed and arranged to support the forepart of the upper by engagement within the welt crease, a carrier for said plates movable generally heightwise of the upper, and a member for supporting the carrier with the upper in lasting position, said supporting member having a cam surface which operates during movement of the member in one direction to transfer the carrier from one supporting surface to a higher supporting surface of said supporting member.

26. In a machine for use in the manufacture of pre-welted shoes, the combination with lasting members constructed and arranged to engage the sole-attaching face of the welt of a pre-welted upper and to bend the welted margin of the upper over the edge of a last mounted therein, of a series of upstanding plates constructed and arranged to support the forepart of the upper by engagement within the welt crease, a carrier for said plates movable generally heightwise of the upper, a member for supporting the carrier with the upper in lasting position, said supporting member having a cam surface which operates during movement of the member in one direction to transfer the carrier from one supporting surface to a higher supporting surface of said supporting member, an actuator for the lasting members, and operating connections from the actuator to said supporting member.

27. In a machine for use in the manufacture of pre-welted shoes, the combination with means for supporting a pre-welted upper for the reception of a last, and means for forcing a last into the supported upper of a pair of plates constructed and arranged to engage the sole-attaching face of the welt at the extremity of the toeportion of the supported upper and to bend the welted margin of the upper over the edge of the last bottom, said plates being arranged for rectilinear movement in paths which converge toward the extremity of the toe portion of the upper.

28. In a machine for use in the manufacture of pre-welted shoes, the combination with means for supporting a pre-welted upper for the reception of a last, and means for forcing a last into the supported upper, of a pair of Welt-engaging plates constructed and arranged to engage the sole-attaching face of the welt and arranged to operate on the toe ends of uppers having generally square toe portions, such for example as uppers common to shoes within the range of infants sizes, said plates being arranged to operate at opposite sides of the toe end of the last at the junctions of the toe and side portions of the edge of the last bottom, these being the portions of sharpest curvature in the edge of the toe portion of the last bottom.

29. In a machine for use in the manufacture of pro-welted shoes, the combination with means for supporting a pre-Welted upper for the reception of a last and means for forcing a last into the supported upper of a pair of lasting plates constructed and arranged for rectilinear movement in paths which converge toward the extremity of the toe portion of the supported upper, a slide constructed and arranged for movement lengthwise of the upper, and operating connections from the slide to the lasting plates.

30. In a machine for use in the manufacture of pre-welted shoes, the combination with means for supporting a pre-welted upper for the reception of a last and means for forcing a last into the supported upper of a pair of lasting plates constructed and arranged for rectilinear movement in paths which converge toward the supported upper, a slide constructed and arranged for movement lengthwise of the upper, operating connections from the slide to the lasting plates, an actuator, connections from the actuator to said slide, means for breaking said connections before the actuator comes to the limit of its advancement, and yielding means for retracting the slide.

31. In a machine for use in the manufacture of pre-welted shoes, the combination with means for supporting a pre-welted upper for the reception of a last and means for forcing a last into the supported upper of a pair of lasting plates constructed and arranged for rectilinear movement in paths which converge toward the extremity of the toe portion of the upper at an angle of approximately 40.

32. A machine for use in the manufacture of pre-welted shoes having in combination with upper-supporting members which engage, respectively, the exterior of the upper within the welt crease and the sole-attaching face of the welt and clamping members movable heightwise of the supported upper to and from the interior of the upper, of a stop for interrupting the operation of the machine with the clamping members in clamping position to permit manual operations on the supported upper before it is released.

33. A machine for use in the manufacture of pro-welted shoes having in combination uppersupporting and positioning members constructed and arranged to engage, respectively, the exterior of the upper within the welt crease and the sole-attaching face of the welt, a spreader movable heightwise of the supported upper into the interior of the upper, a head on which the spreader is mounted, means for automatically lifting the head thereby to retract the spreader at a predetermined time in the machine cycle, said machine being characterized by a stop for arresting downward movement of the head and thereby interrupting the operation of the machine after the spreader has engaged the upper and prior to the retraction of the spreader, said stop being movable from its effective position topermit the operation of the machine to be completed.

CHARLES A. ROBINSON. 

